Religion: worlds best ever scam?

reply to post by DeadSeraph

For something so "ridiculous", some of you spend an awful lot of time dwelling on it. I know I know... You just want to save our non-existent souls.

Ummm.... no, it has nothing to do with saving you.

Here is why I am compelled to pursue the subject:

1) it has ruined, and is ruining, a lot of people's lives.
2) it breeds shame and subservience and lack of self-confidence
3) I don't think you have a 'non-existent soul'. You do have a soul, and it's fine just the way it is...
4) it's a FASCINATING aspect of the human condition - perhaps the toughest one to deal with of all.

Do we get sick of this crap?
As long as it goes on, even if we are sick TO DEATH of it, it needs to be confronted and addressed for what it is.

Are ALL religions guilty? No. The ones that promote peace, harmony, love, charity, and UNCONDITIONAL FORGIVENESS are great.

Anyone who goes to church to be told how worthless they are, and what they should do and how much they should pay, and how many times to repeat a prayer, and that if they haven't confessed (or gone to church - in the case of the Catholics - at least according to colbe) will go straight to hell, is going to be unhappy.

NO ONE likes to be 'written up' or 'chewed out' or 'humiliated in public.' Why do people persist in going to a place that is DEFINITELY going to do that, every week???

Answer: The God Virus.

I'm not an atheist - but the modern world's vernacular version of the Abrahamic "God" is a control tool - as long as it persists, we'll do the same. It's bunk, and a scam.

Find a religion that is welcoming, uplifting, positive and calming, and attach to THAT ONE.

Like, the Universal Unitarians.....or the Gnostics....

WE ARE ALL part of the Divine.

What about you, Dead Seraph, don't you ever get sick of defending something that so many people find "ridiculous", "oppressive", "outdated" and just plain offensive? Have you no inner dignity left?

It'll all be okay. We'll all get there. You on your path, and everyone else on theirs. Those of us willing to listen to options, other ideas, and suggestions will do so more comfortably.

That is all.

"If you want to get rich, you start a religion."

-L. Ron Hubbard

reply to post by boymonkey74


God needs the money to well pay his rent, buy private jets, pay the angels minimum wage, keep the devil chained up in his cell, do grocery shopping, pay for the fluffy clouds in heaven you know all the important stuff in life or death.
Maybe he's as real as the cat in the hat but no one will ever know since he's devoted his free time towards being more illusive than bigfoot.

ibnuthman1
just go somewhere private away from people and clutter. And say God, Lord, Creator, Allah(whatever you prefer ) if you exist guide me and show me a sign. say it with an open mind and genuinely (only you will know if you are being genuine!) If you feel different afterwards - it could be a sign - if you don't 'get guided' than you have an argument against god - if he does exist.

I did this many, many times during my youth, but to no avail. The only "sign" I ever thought I received was so incredibly negative that, for a while, I was left believing that, if a deity existed, it either hated me or was evil to the core (or maybe both). I can now see this event as the coincidence it surely was, but it was fairly devastating to me as an impressionable young teen looking for something, anything to believe in.

reply to post by iLemming


did he really say that?

I'd star you a thousand and one times if I could

I think the biggest scam is the widespread belief that humans can successfully govern other humans for any length of time.